Author Rod brings virus story to book
AN AUTHOR has published his latest novel after three years of writing and it is about a lethal worldwide virus.
Rod Hughes, 77, has released Covid-30 and the Third Ice Age, which is set in Wincle, on the outskirts of Macclesfield.
The story unfolds in the year 2030, when a pandemic is sweeping through the human race and the world is also hit by a climate disaster.
Rod, who was born and raised in Macclesfield and had a construction company in the town until retirement, admits the title has been borrowed from what is happening now.
But says that his book featuring a dangerous pandemic is an eerie coincidence as it was almost finished when the virus struck in the real world.
Rod, who now lives in Congleton with his wife, said: “I started writing this my fourth novel in 2017 with a proposed title of
The Third Ice Age.
”I was tying up the loose ends and bringing the book to a close.
“Ironically something very similar to my story is now happening in the world today with the coronavirus.”
The story follows a family of four who live on a smallholding near Macclesfield and have to make their way to their way to the nearest government refuge on the south coast.
The journey is fraught with danger as the double disaster sees the UK turn lawless.
It is Rod’s fourth novel since he began writing in 2003.
The others are Aurthora, set in Celtic fifth century Britain, The Criminal Activities of Geoffrey Larkin, about four Stockport orphans who drift into a life of crime, and Broadsword, about the battles of a Scottish clan.
Rod said: “I first started writing novels in 2003 when I retired. I always had in my mind four action adventure stories.
”But up to retiring I was too busy running my business to start putting pen to paper.”
The books can be found on Kindle and Covid-30 and the Third Ice Age is also available in paperback.